27
in Tunisia, its importation is restricted, hindering access to the market for U.S. firms. Trademarks such as those associated with apparel, and copyrighted works such as software, recordings, and movies, suffer from infringement. We look to Tunisia to improve enforcement of its copyright and trademark laws, and to move toward providing patent protection for pharmaceutical products.
Uruguay: Revision of Uruguay's copyright and industrial property legislation has been underway for years. The United States is encouraged that the Government has introduced updated copyright and patent legislation. These revisions are needed to bring Uruguay into compliance with international obligations. The United States encourages Uruguay to accelerate its efforts to enact TRIPS-consistent legislation and to continue its IPR enforcement efforts.
In Yemen, U.S. industry has raised serious concerns over ongoing trademark violations. Local producers, particularly in the household goods sector, appear to be intentionally designing their products to be confusingly similar to well-known U.S. brands. The court system can be slow in addressing intellectual property cases, although U.S. firms have prevailed in the past. We look to Yemen to address these serious trademark concerns quickly.
